Know About Guwahati

Guwahati

About Guwahati

Guwahati is a city in the north-eastern state of Assam. It lies on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra river and at the foothills of the Shillong Plateau. Owing to its location, the city is a natural hotspot with several rare animals and birds either residing here or regularly visiting it, making tourism a significant contributor to its economy.

Besides being an important region for wildlife, Guwahati is a major commercial, educational, political and cultural center of the east and especially the north-east. Several reputed educational institutes such as Gauhati University and the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati are situated here. The city’s view on various political matters also holds great importance for the region. In addition, the city is a cultural hotbed.

Owing to the city’s multi-dimensional nature and great diversity, the nature of development in Guwahati is multi-faceted. In fact, it’s currently one of the fastest developing cities in India and displays plenty of promise for its residents, both in terms of infrastructure and real estate development.

Stats and Facts

• The population of Guwahati, as per the provisional reports of the census 2011, is 9,63,429. The metropolitan population, on the other hand, is 9,68,549.
• Guwahati’s sex ratio stands at 918 per 1000 males while the child sex ratio is 1009 per 1000 boys.
• The average literacy rate in Guwahati is 91.11%, of which female and male literacy rates are 89.16% and 92.89% respectively.
• The city of Guwahati has had several names in the past. Pragjyotishpura and Durjaya were its names during the rule of the Kamrup kings. In recent times, it was called Gauhati. Now, the city is called Guwahati, a name made up of two words; ‘guwa’ means areca nut and ‘hat’ means market.
• Guwahati has the largest tea auction market in India.
• The Kamakhya temple, dedicated to goddess Kamakhya and located in Guwahati, lies at the center of Assamese life and culture.
• Guwahati is at the center of the rich Assamese culture. The Bihu and Sattriya are the beautiful classical dance forms of Assam. A number of fairs and festivals are also held in grand celebration. Some of them are Ambubachi Mela, Brahmaputra Beach Festival, Bihu, Holi and Durga Puja.

Trade and Commerce

• Guwahati hosts the Maniram Devan Trade Center, a trade center responsible for the promotion of trade and commerce in Assam.
• The city has the Guwahati Stock Exchange (GSE). Currently, 290 companies are listed in the GSE.
• When it comes to trade and commerce, Guwahati is the mainstay of North-East India.
• Guwahati is also at the center of major wholesale distribution in addition to being the retail and marketing hub.
• The Assam tea is the major commodity under auction at the Guwahati Tea Auction Center, which is one of the largest tea trading centers in the world.
• The retail and real estate sectors have been flourishing in Guwahati. The city hosts big retail players such as Big Bazaar, Wills Lifestyle, Van Heusen, Pantaloons, Westside, Levi’s Strauss and Co. and so on.

Connectivity

• Guwahati has very good air connectivity with most of the major airlines providing their services at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. Located just 20 km west of the city center, the airport has airlines offering direct flights to Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and other major Indian cities.
• Guwahati junction is the major railway station in the city. It is also the headquarters of the Northeast Frontier Railway zone of the Indian Railways. The city is serviced by two other railway stations, Kamakhya Junction and New Guwahati (for freight services). Guwahati is well connected to major cities like Bengaluru, Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Patna, Hyderabad and Chennai.
• Two national highways - NH 31 and NH 37 - connect Guwahati to the surrounding states and cities. Bus services are provided by both the government-run Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) and private operators. The popular buses operating in the city are luxury coaches and night supers, operating overnight.
• Guwahati is connected by road to the other regions of the northeast by the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT).
• The transport of cargo, and tourist and passenger vessels from and to Guwahati occurs through the National Waterway-2 (NW-2).
• ASTC and private operators offer bus services to the different areas within the city. Trekker services, rickshaws and three-wheeler auto-rickshaws are the other popular means of traveling within the city by road.

Guwahati Civic Administration

• Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) is responsible for the administration and governance of the city.
• The area under GMC comprises 60 municipal wards.
• The planning and development for the city is undertaken by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA).
• Guwahati is a Lok Sabha Constituency. It also comprises 4 assembly constituencies, namely Dispur, Jalukbari, Guwahati West, and Guwahati East.

Guwahati Infrastructure

The infrastructure in Guwahati is impressive, although there is scope for further development. The city is now brimming with modern bungalows and apartments, modern shopping areas and malls, and competitive residential and commercial real estate overall. The sports infrastructure in the city is a highlight as it features the Nehru Stadium, Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium and many other stadia in key localities in the city.

Guwahati is set to receive city development funds from Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) and financial assistance from Asian Development Bank. Developing transportation and utilities infrastructure is now receiving great emphasis. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to make Guwahati a hub of air connectivity after the modernization plan for the airport is complete.

The city of Guwahati also has excellent educational and healthcare infrastructure. It has one of the seven coveted Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Cotton College, Gauhati University, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Assam Engineering College and so on.

Besides education, Guwahati is famous for its healthcare infrastructure, which includes both government and private specialty hospitals and centers of research.

Infrastructure Projects

Name of The Project	Impact Areas	Expected Completion Date	Remarks
Guwahati Metro	Khanapara, Basistha, Lokhra, Jalukbari, Dispur, Narengi, and so on	Under Development	A 3-corridor metro system that will help ease the chaotic traffic conditions prevalent in the city
India Water Supply Project, Guwahati	Guwahati	Under Development	The Government of Japan is assisting Guwahati by constructing water supply facilities in the south-central and north zones of Guwahati, through its Official Development Assistance to India.
Inter State Bus Terminus, Guwahati	Guwahati	Completed	This boosts inter-state connectivity as well as reduces the prevailing traffic congestion in the city and outskirts.

Guwahati Real Estate Market

• Guwahati is witnessing a significant increase in investment in the city’s real estate market. The chief causes acknowledged are growing population and heightened commercial construction.
• Significant amount of investment in infrastructure projects is coming in from both the center and private investors.
• High-end real estate development is in great demand because many organized retail chains and multi-national companies are setting up stores and offices respectively in the city. Construction of shopping malls and multiplexes is also on the rise.
• New residential projects in Guwahati are emerging in the form of townships.

Key Localities in Guwahati

Localities	Per Sq. Ft. Price – Q3 2013	Rent Per Month For A 2 BHK Apartment in Guwahati (approx.) (Figures in 1000 rupees)
Lokhra Road	3,500-4,500	4.5	6
Dharapur	2,500-3,000	3.5	5.5
Kahilpara	2,800-3,400	3.5	6
Bikash Nagar	2,300-2,800	3	5
Dispur	3,400-4,200	6	9

Charges by Different Government Bodies

Property Registration

Stamp Duty: 6% of the property value

Registration Fee: 8.5% of the property value

Property Tax

The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) levies Property Tax to the residents of Guwahati. One can know more about and pay the property tax on the official GMC website.

Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Limited

Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Limited (AEGCL) is responsible for transmitting power across the state of Assam and international borders as well. The restructuring of Assam State Electricity Board in 2003 brought about the formation of this corporation.

Electricity Charges

Multi-year tariff order, dated 11 May 2013

Particulars	Slab		Rate (Rs.)
	Low	High
For connected load up to 5 kW	1	120	3.25
	121	240	4.3
	241	Above 241	5
For connected load more than 5 kW	1	Above 1	4.6

Guwahati Jal Board

Guwahati Jal Board is responsible for water supply and sewerage services in the Guwahati Metropolitan Area (GMA). The organization takes responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the water supply facilities in the metropolitan area.

JANA-SEWA Computerized Public Services Facilitation Counter System

The primary objective of the Jana-Sewa initiative of the Government of Assam is the hassle-free and transparent provision of services, such as passport, caste certificate, delayed birth/death certificate, senior citizen certificate, registration/renewal of club/NGO. It acts as a means to record petitions from